Why Did She Have to Tell the World: Continuity and Change

Francesca Curtis and Phyllis Papps are many things. Researchers. Writers. Ultra-Feminists. Partners. They are also the first lesbian couple to come out on national television almost fifty years ago. Putting everything on the line, Phyllis and Francesca appeared on ABC TV This Day Tonight’s interview about lesbianism in October 1970.

Now in the final years of their lives, the couple open up about love, loss and political change, solidified inside a fifty year relationship. A powerful and inspiring film about acceptance set against Australia’s fight for marriage equality.

Join us for a screening of the short film "Why Did She Have to Tell the World?", Phyllis and Francesca's lesbian coming-out story spanning fifty years. The film will be followed by a panel featuring the writer-director AP Pobjoy, and young LBGTQIA+ activists exploring continuity and change in LGBTQIA+ activism from the 1970s to today.